Merry Christmas! We’ll have a weak ridge of high-pressure building over the Alberta Rockies on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. By Fri, an upper trough brings back isolated flurries and light amounts at resorts along the Divide (Castle, Sunshine, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin). Weak disturbances will bring even more light accumulations on Sat through Mon. Beyond that, next week is now trending drier.

An active pattern is setting up across the West for the holiday season with heavy snow for the Northwest in particular. Utah & Colorado will see frequent shots of light to moderate snow, while California and Oregon resorts will see both rain and snow with warmer air creeping in. The East will see a quiet pattern with a gradual warming trend, then colder air will arrive after the New Year.

Happy Christmas Eve! Santa is leaving the Sierra ahead of schedule. 5-10 inches fell over the Sierra Range on Tuesday. A potent storm is headed for the BC coast and will slam the PNW with several feet of snow, strong winds, and rising snow levels on Wednesday/Thursday. There are many red flags. The Rockies grab heavier snow from Friday to Sunday!